


A Fox's Fortune

by OrangeBlossoms



Series: FEmslash February 2018 [4]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, F/F, Kitsune Orochi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 04:07:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13651098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrangeBlossoms/pseuds/OrangeBlossoms
Summary: Kagero makes an unexpected friend.





	A Fox's Fortune

**Author's Note:**

  * For [engineDriver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/engineDriver/gifts).



> This is for Smitty/Smittie (you change it and then I change it in the spreadsheet thinking I had it wrong and—). I tried giving it a folktale feel (though it didn’t want to stay as neatly contained as all that). 
> 
> Also, my original schedule is out the window thanks to flu. We are FEmslash February and March now. Or the whole year really because let’s be honest, F/F and Gen with background F/F is all that I post. So, thanks in advance for your patience.

In a certain region in the mythical land of Hoshido, there existed a secluded village surrounded by forest-draped mountains that was known for preparing the ninja in service to the royal family. From a young age, boys were trained in skills of espionage and covert tactics; leadership and tool-making; open disguise and the many gifts of the natural world that could aid in their future assignments from the placement of the stars to the dilation of a cat’s eye.

In the village lived a noble family that had served the Hoshidan royalty going back many generations. They placed all of their hopes on the eldest son, a bright boy whose talents promised to bring honor upon their family. Their plans went awry, however, when a sickness ravaged the region, leaving their eldest frail and no longer able to perform his duties as a ninja in training. Breaking with tradition, his younger sister, Kagero, stepped forward to take his place. She spent her spare time outside of formal lessons developing her skills alone in the surrounding woods, changing locations until she settled on a small clearing next to a mountain brook.

One day, as she was making her way to the brook, she saw that a few young boys from the village had captured a gray fox whose coat was the color of wisteria in the late afternoon light. They were preparing to kill it for its fur, a rare commodity that would fetch an attractive price the next time an itinerant merchant traveled through the area.

Older and with a reputation due to the level of dedication to her craft, she only had to scold them once before they released the creature. The fox fled into the nearby brush and the boys ran in the opposite direction back to town.

“You shouldn’t come out so close to the village,” she advised, the undergrowth silent in response.

She continued on with her business as normal, soon forgetting about the incident.

Her day-to-day life carried on as usual with instruction and then solo exercises in her private clearing, but something about the forest itself had subtly transformed. There were days she was certain she was being watched yet despite all her expertise, she could not find the source of the sensation.

It was a week after the change in atmosphere when the gifts began to arrive. First was a bundle of herbs for cooking. They were wrapped in twine and she suspected someone dropped it as they left the forest. Sure enough, she overheard a neighbor complain of having lost some remedies on his way down the mountain. Once again, she thought nothing of it and continued with her routine.

The next time nearly a week later there was a pheasant, freshly killed, feathers missing from a mangled neck placed on a flat stone at the edge of the brook as if in offering. She didn’t touch the bird and the following day it was gone without a trace. It was two weeks more before another present arrived and by this point Kagero was a mixture of uneasy and curious. Inside a large leaf were stones of different shapes and colors. Some were sea glass, smoothed over from repeated wear from the currents. The light shone through to cast soft colors when she angled them above her head.

She began to leave her own gifts in the form of nature scenes that adorned small scraps of paper. She had been told on more than one occasion about the alarming quality of her particular style of painting, but the forest watcher took each work in turn, leaving additional small trinkets in exchange.

One day she left behind a painting of a fox. More herbs and stones were left in a carefully arranged display that appealed to her artist’s eye in response. There was also a rabbit and despite her wariness, she took it home and cleaned it for dinner.

When it reached the occasion to leave the village and prove her worth in the capital, she traveled to the creek one final time, certain her audience must have been some benevolent forest spirit. With a low bow, she thanked the unknown watcher for the favors and bid them farewell, leaving a final painting of the mountain stream itself as a parting gift.

-x-

Several years later, Kagero traveled with a royal caravan through her once home region. Much to her family’s pride, she had been chosen as a retainer to the queen of Hoshido and worked tirelessly in service to her liege. It had rained earlier in the day, slowing their progress as supply carts were caught in ruts in the road and those on foot ambled forward, their clothes water laden. Kagero monitored their movement as she traveled hidden to the side of the road, watching for any sign of trouble. Due to the nature of her home village, the area was known for safe passage, but there had been strange tales of waylaid travelers of late that caused some of the servants to whisper about angry spirits come down from the mountains to prey on unsuspecting trespassers.

It was in the twilight hours when her fellow retainer’s winged mount landed next to a thicket, a woman in her arms. Reina had gone ahead to scout only to find a lone traveler in distress. The woman had sprained her ankle walking between villages, losing her balance on the rain slicked roads. Reina called for a priestess to tend to the stranger’s injury just as Kagero emerged to investigate. As she approached, a spark of recognition crossed the woman’s face before her features settled into a cheerful mask.

With her foot mended and a scolding from Reina for foolishly choosing to travel without an escort, the stranger identified herself as Orochi, a diviner of many talents. She offered her services to Queen Mikoto in thanks for her kindness and proposed she accompany them to the capital as that was her ultimate destination as well. Both Kagero and Reina expressed unease with the addition of the stranger to their traveling party, Kagero most strongly as she remembered the woman’s odd reaction upon their first meeting.

When the caravan continued on its way, Lady Mikoto’s wish to allow the stranger to accompany them winning out in the end, Kagero approached the diviner in an attempt to learn more about her response.

“Who are you really?” she asked, watching the playful smile of Orochi with a distrustful eye.

“A friend! I hope,” she said, bowing her head slightly. “Should you wish to learn more, there are other diviners in the capital who will vouch for me and my skill, but perhaps Orochi will have a chance to prove herself before we arrive.”

Dissatisfied with her answer, Kagero vowed to keep tabs on her as they traveled. She shared her concerns with Reina who barked out a laugh.

“Should she misstep, my naginata will be the judge of her worth. I will continue to watch from the skies.”

On the second day of traveling, Orochi alerted them of a landslide in one of the mountain paths. When Reina went to investigate, she confirmed the diviner’s warning. They altered their route accordingly, avoiding the obstruction completely.

When they were three day’s travel from the capital, Orochi once again requested an audience with the queen. This time she described a nearby river crossing swollen with water from the recent rain. Reina again scouted ahead and verified the diviner’s prediction. In the end they made their way to a further crossing higher in the mountains that ultimately saved them a hazardous attempt at fording the overflow.

During the last leg of their journey, Orochi’s visions were clouded and she warned of an eventual attack by an unknown assailant. True to her cautions, the caravan was ambushed by foreign agents and Orochi herself was injured in protection of the queen. For a brief moment on the battlefield, Kagero swore she saw the tail of a fox appear only for it to fade as an opponent struck at her side and she was forced to refocus on the battle.

Lady Mikoto kept bedside vigil for several days while the diviner recovered and when she was well enough to move freely, the queen made her an offer. So pleased was she with services rendered, that she gave Orochi the honor of pledging herself as a personal retainer and joining Reina and Kagero at her side.

The three settled into their roles and enjoyed several years of Hoshidan peace and prosperity. Kagero was surprised to find she and Orochi were not only compatible teammates, but were soon like old friends, having grown up in the same region. Orochi often approached her first, but with time, Kagero found herself seeking her out on her own. The diviner, while mischievous, took her responsibilities seriously and lightened the burden Kagero had once shared only with Reina. She was a competent mage, an adept seer and earned the respect of Kagero as a fighter and a companion. Reina would say that Orochi was the only one who could get away with teasing the two of them and keep all her limbs intact.

They spent many a free moment together in between shifts, Orochi having a unique level of appreciation of Kagero’s painting and Kagero an exceptional understanding of her sense of humor and tendencies towards troublesome behavior. On more than one occasion, she intervened in situations that could have led to altercations. Orochi operated under a different understanding of acceptable conduct, bending rules to fit her more capricious whims. She would later sing her friend’s praises.

“Always saving me! I will forever be in your debt,” she said, with a tone suggesting she didn’t mind the thought.

Days of rest came to an end when the same neighboring nation that had attacked them on their way to the capital sent fiends across the borders. Diviners and spies alike warned of impending battles ahead. Kagero herself was sent on solo missions, risking capture at the hands of their enemy, all her training put to the test as she continued to return time and again. Orochi remained at the side of her queen as she had genuinely grown fond of her, her initial pledge prevailing against her desire to safeguard her friend.

“You worry after her, do you not?” Lady Mikoto asked one afternoon when they were alone. They spoke in confidence often enough that Orochi knew how freely she was able to speak, more than once considering revealing herself to her liege and comrades.

“Ah, always. Would there more that could be done,” she said, smile remaining even as her brow knit in concern, “We must trust in her skills.”

-x-

There came a day when the invading forces approached the capital with an army of summoned beasts. All available fighters were called to arms in defense, including the three retainers. Reina was a veteran of the battlefield and fought in the sky next to other knights aloft winged mounts. Kagero and Orochi prepared to fight on the ground outside the walls of the city.

“There are ill omens on the wind today. I can smell them, they hang in the air so thick,” she said, smiling sadly as she turned her head away.

It was the last words they spoke before stone beasts crawled through the morning mists to begin an assault on the outer walls. They battled the giants side-by-side with magic and steel as the day wore on and the sun lit the field, the mist disbursing. As Kagero fought an armored general, one of the rock summons took aim at her back. Orochi made a desperate rush to her defense just as Kagero’s own opponent fell.

As a rock struck her, there was a burst of light and in the place of her friend was a many-tailed fox. The fox leapt at the behemoth, causing it to crumble under her magic, before fleeing into the woods.

Hours later and with the last of their strength, Kagero searched with Reina, unable to find even a trace of her presence.

After returning to Castle Shirasagi, Kagero was dismissed to tend to her wounds. She retired to her quarters with a heavy heart. As she entered, she was alerted to signs of an intruder. On a table at the far end of the room was a painting along with a golden hair ornament leaving no doubt to as to the identity of the trespasser. The painting whose edges were now worn and ink had faded was the very same work she had left during her final day at the brook. It had been as she suspected and her dearest friend the diviner was indeed the fox she had saved all those years ago. A small note was left next to the painting, written in a distinctive hand.

“The debt has been repaid. Thank you for your kindness. It will never be forgotten for as long as I live.”

In the following weeks, Kagero carried out her duties as honorably as she had before. She was grateful for any tasks given to her to complete, which were more than normal as she and Reina once again split retainer’s responsibilities between the two of them. She withdrew from social interactions and her paints gathered dust. Accustomed to watching over her youngest retainers, the changes did not go unnoticed by the queen.

She called an audience with Kagero during a quiet afternoon.

“I grant you leave to retrieve our lost companion. You of all people have the highest chance of convincing her to return.”

Lady Mikoto would hear no further protest and set Kagero on her way with her blessing, Reina also urging their safe (and swift) return.

-x-

Kagero was welcomed home with much fanfare as the village knew of her successful employ as the queen’s retainer. She spent a celebratory evening at with family and friends before taking her leave, promising to return soon on her way back to the capital. She took with her enough supplies to set up camp for a week, prepared to return again if necessary to restock.

She sat and she waited. When the first day bore no results, she began to paint to pass the time, leaving the results of her efforts by the brook at night while she slept. Each day she began the observation with the same words.

“I am here for Orochi. I do not care if she is a fox. She is still important to me. I will wait for her even if it is only to say farewell.”

On the final day of the first week Kagero heard movement in the underbrush. She had grown weary over similar false alarms, but her eyes trained on the rustling branches nonetheless. Her heart caught in her chest at a flash of purple. A dainty paw emerged followed by a lithe form covered in a plush coat of fur. The fox walked forward with tentative steps. Her head hung low as she approached, tails sagging sadly behind her.

“Orochi,” Kagero whispered, recognizing the creature that had bolted from the battle with a mournful cry. Only her ears pricked at the sound before she came to sit several paces away, tails wrapped around her feet and ears pulled back.

“Oh, Kagero, the glamour is gone and you have seen what I truly am. They say a human could never truly care for a fox,” she said, her voice her own though nearly unrecognizable in its misery.

“It was through Lady Mikoto’s urging that I could allow myself to be here, though I would be lying if I said it was not what I myself wished.”

The fox’s gaze still downcast, Kagero extended a hand towards her.

“I will not force a decision on you, but I would love for nothing more than for you to return with me.”

The fox raised her head and their eyes met. Kagero had to restrain herself from lashing out as a violent flash of purple lit the clearing just as the fox leapt towards her. She opened her arms to receive Orochi in an embrace, warm human arms wrapping around her back in return.

“Kagero!” she said with a tearful cry.

She held her until she settled and asked after a detail she had been puzzling over during her week in the woods.

“Ah, no. That night? Truth be told, I had hoped to rob some foolish traveler blind, but then I saw it was you,” she said, tapping Kagero on the nose before snuggling close.

It was a playful gesture that Kagero wouldn’t have suffered from anyone else. She pulled back to look at her again and saw only a woman, all signs of ears or a tail gone with whatever magic she wove, illusionary or something even further from her own understanding.

“What is it?” she asked, eyes dancing.

“Lady Mikoto would like you to return as well. Reina has also said she has nothing against foxes,” she said as she smiled, “Just thieves who cheat at cards.”

“Ah, I don’t cheat! I’m simply good at counting,” Orochi quipped, teeth flashing in a grin as she leaned her head against Kagero’s shoulder. “So, you came all the way out here for me then? I suppose I should introduce you to my family and you can do the same before we return. You’ve already met some of them!”

“I have?”

“Of course! When you did your little investigation after I first came to the capital. Those diviners are my kin, if only distantly related,” Orochi explained, fanning herself as her face suddenly colored, “I’m not the first fox to fall for a human, after all.”

Before Kagero could respond, Orochi stood with a laugh.

“Let’s take care of things here and then go home.”

“Hmm home,” Kagero agreed, taking an offered hand.

It’s said that the two lived out their lives together, serving their Queen and caring for each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Mikoto lives 2k18.


End file.
